Terrorizing Topher
by Twenty-Two Cents
Summary: Topher has a few words with his boss concerning the events of 1.08 “Needs”. One-shot.


**Summary: Topher has a few words with his boss concerning the events of 1.08 "Needs". One-shot.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Dollhouse_. If I did, there would be way more of Topher and Boyd and far less of Echo and her little 'missions'.  
**

_Bang._

Adelle DeWitt stared impassively at the newly formed dent in her wall where her office door had hit moments ago. "Ah, Mr. Topher. I was expecting you," she said casually, as though employees of hers often burst into her office in a flying temper.

Adelle's calm demeanor, which usually put others either on guard or at ease, did nothing for Topher this time. "Were you going to tell me?" the young scientist grated, his voice shaking.

"Tell you what?"

"That you planned to have Echo wave a gun at me and almost implode my brain with my own brilliantly designed machine."

Topher's fists were clenched, but Adelle noticed that they were trembling. She sighed, closing her eyes briefly; she had only just gotten everything settled and had been back in her office ten minutes before her self-titled "science guy" had almost broken down her door. It had been a _very_ long day, and all she wanted was to go home and have a relaxing cup of tea. But business first, as always.

Studying Topher for a few moments, Adelle said nothing. He was shaken, that much she could tell.

"Believe it or not, I didn't plan for _all_ of that to happen, Mr. Topher."

He snorted disbelievingly. "Oh yeah? You plan for _everything_. You're the queen of planners. The Actives don't even take a pee-break without you planning for it." Topher began to walk agitatedly around the room. "Was it because I got too cocky? Sure, I'm amazingly clever, and I sometimes like to let others praise me, but that doesn't mean you can play me like you play everyone else."

"I did _not_ play you, Topher, I was just as surprised as y-"

"You oversaw the entire process! You handpicked Caroline's personality and what knowledge she would be allowed to keep!" Topher's voice, which had risen almost to a yell, now dropped back to almost a whisper. "You arrived just in time… If you had been a second later-"

For a moment, Adelle could see the fear in his eyes again as though he was reliving it all, as though Echo was still holding a gun to his chest and forcing him into his own mind-wiping chair. His breathing quickened noticeably.

Adelle couldn't blame him for his anger, really; she had seen Echo menacing him, she had heard his panicked shouts as the Active turned on the machine, and she had seen his sheer terror as Echo pushed him nearer to the deadly beams of blue light. Although she rarely took time to imagine much of anything, Adelle imagined she would be rather upset at this point if their roles had been switched. Accordingly, she kept her voice even instead of raising it as she would have liked.

"It all worked out, though, in the end. Everything went mostly according to plan, and you are none the worse for it."

Uncharacteristically at a loss for words, Topher's mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to think of an argument. "But my chair… it'll take weeks to fix."

"Not with the help you'll have. Have you forgotten that we have access to some of the most brilliant engineers and scientists who can assist you?"

"Yeah, well… if you ever do that again, I'm leaving," Topher threatened halfheartedly.

Adelle laughed aloud. "Do you really think you'll ever quit this job? It's the only one you could ever get that would fully use your skills and intelligence. And of course you know that the Dollhouse does not take kindly to quitters. Even you are not irreplaceable, Mr. Topher."

Topher visibly gulped, averting his gaze nervously.

"But if it makes you feel any better," his boss said, the tone of her voice almost kind, "I do apologize for what happened to you today. I will do everything in my power to make sure it never happens again."

Adelle rose from her desk and nodded to the door in clear dismissal. Topher nodded briefly and started to leave, but he stopped and turned to face her. "Just- no more of that kind of stuff. Ever."

In a rare moment of humor, Adelle replied. "No terrorizing Topher. Got it."


End file.
